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Sons of Liberty
LJfJPxLntZU A pre-War patriot militia, the Sons of Liberty have adapted well to the world of post-War America, albeit outside the confines of the once welcoming Martha's Gulch. The Sons of Liberty are currently saettled in the Willamette River Valley with numerous camps dotted around the region. History The Sons of Liberty is the oldest of the founding groups of Martha's Gulch, founded all the way back in 1970 following the creation of the thirteen commonwealths. They felt that governmental powers had gone amok and had to be checked by "a militia of the people". For more than a century, the Sons of Liberty attempted to be that militia to mixed results. By 2074, the Sons of Liberty had fallen from its zenith in membership, and their concerns over gorvernment were seen as pretty much irrevelant because of the larger war going on. However, their advocacy had attracted the attention of Martha Lore, war profiteer and libertarian billionaire, who offered the Sons a place in her refuge, Martha's Gulch. Their leader then, Iago Windham, heartily accepted Martha's proposal but many of the remaining Sons of Liberty distrusted Windham, and only a few went to Martha's Gulch with Windham. At Martha's Gulch, the Sons of Liberty attempted to cooperate with the other groups and assist Martha Lore in trying to keep everyone together. When the bombs began to fall on October 23, 2077, the Sons of Liberty filed into the fallout shelter of Martha's Gulch. Soon after going underground, tensions began to flare up once again relating to the New Order. Siding with Atlas' Guard and the Watchmen on most issues, thr Sons of Liberty saw the New Order's presence as detrimental but not wholly unneeded, hoping their behavior would improve. Eventually, when the New Order became violent, the Sons of Liberty did not stop their expulsion. While underground, the Sons of Liberty became closer to Atlas' Guard while also being more alienated towards the paranoid Watchmen. At the behest of Martha Lore, the Sons of Liberty along with the other groups emerged from their fallout shelter to find the New Order making a hardscrabble existence on the surface. Approving of their drive to survive, most of the Sons of Liberty forgave the New Order of their past ills and focused their dislike on the increasingly troublesome Watchmen. In late 2080, the Watchmen's paranoia got the better of them, and they left. Everyone was happy because of it. For around the next half a century, the groups continued to live on in Martha's Gulch in an isolated peace with Martha as their nominal ruler. The Sons of the Liberty stayed in Martha's Gulch and tilled the land, not being good farmers but managing to scrape by. The next century or so was quite tranquil for the Sons of Liberty, keeping to themselves for the most part while observing the New Order, Atlas' Guard, and Pantheon Radio going at each others' throats. The Guard at least tried to act as mediators but the Sons of Liberty preferred isolation in their section of Martha's Gulch, only coming out for community events and joint training sessions. So, it naturally came as a shock to them when the New Order betrayed the other groups in 2211 and attacked Pantheon Radio. The Sons of Liberty, then led by Commander Reese Glover, rushed to the defense of Pantheon Radio and were later horrified by news of the New Order's atrocities in Seattle and other parts of the wasteland. In fact, upon hearing about what the New Order did and feeling extreme guilt, Commander Glover committed suicide. This further confused and saddened the Sons of Liberty. For the next decade or so, tension between the Sons of Liberty and Atlas' Guard grew to increasingly uncomfortable levels. This was primarily fueled by conspiracy theorists on both sides accusing the other of covering up for the New Order and "silencing" Pantheon Radio. As Martha's Gulch began to open up, the tensions only grew as the two groups jockied for caravans. The situation reached boiling point in 2224 when the favorite pet Apeshit of the Guard's commander George Banner got shot by drunken Sons of Liberty who claimed it had "gone feral". The situation calmed down after a few weeks but it was clear: someone had to go. That someone was the Sons of Liberty. The Guard outnumbered them three to two and had better equipment as well. If push came to shove, the Sons of Liberty would lose a war with them. So, in late 2225 the Sons of Liberty decided it was time for them to leave Martha's Gulch after more than a century. Atlas' Guard were just fine with this and actually helped the Sons of Liberty make preparations to leave. In early 2226, the Sons of Liberty exited the gates of Martha's Gulch, never to return. The early years were especially hard on the Sons of Liberty. The group had gotten rather soft from years of farm living, not ready to brave the wasteland and wilderness of Cascadia. Many died in that first winter of 2226, including the current Commander. As time went on though, the Sons of Liberty managed to effectively survive and looked for a new place to settle. This was harried by homesteaders suspicious of such a large armed group, tribals hostiles hostile to any outsiders, and naturally mutated wildlife. Nonetheless, the Sons of Liberty searched for a new home, free of petty politics and far from the ilk of Ayn Rand. Their commander then, Joe Montana, even went with the scouts to look for new, better lands. After almost a decade of searching, scouts for the Sons of Liberty finally found a new place to call home: the Willamette River Valley in Oregon. The land was fertile and for the most part, peaceful. The Sons of Liberty crossed the Columbia River at Portland to enter Oregon, avoided the mutants in Salem, and quickly settled the northern part of the river valley in 2235. The Oregon tribals of area did not take kindly to the perceived invasion and attacked the Sons of Liberty's new settlements. Though they had better weapons and battle experience, the Sons of Liberty could not overcome the tribals' numbers and the conflict dragged on for eight years, costing many lives. That was until one Owen Curtis emerged. Seemingly a mercenary traveling north with a group of holy people, Owen was actually an Enclave deserter looking for something better to fight for. He had first turned to religion and gone north with the holy people on their exodus. However, upon arriving in the Willamette River Valley and witnessing the embattled Sons of Liberty fighting to make a new better America, Owen decided that he was needed there. Owen's advanced weaponry and battle experience impressed many within the Sons of Liberty, and he was allowed to join the Sons of Liberty in 2242, a rare early instance of outsiders being allowed to join. Seeing that many of the Sons of Liberty, though good shots and guerrillas, were amateur tacticians fighting against the tribals, Owen offered to train the Sons using his expertise in strategy learned from time in the Enclave. He was rejected by Joe Montana the first time for being "presumptuous" but after a second request, his assistance was accepted. Owen's experience from the Enclave proved very useful to the Sons of Liberty and through utilization of his battle tactics, the Sons of Liberty finally got the upper-hand on the tribals of the region. A defeat near Salem particularly drained the tribals. The Oregon tribals of the Willamette River Valley, pushed to their limits, sued for peace with the Sons of Liberty in late 2242. Surprised that the cannibalistic tribals would ever offer peace, the Sons of Liberty asked for a meeting to hash out plans for peace. The meeting took place near the ruins of Oregon City, and the groups tried to hash out some lasting peace between them. The conference was going well and was almost finished when it was instead interrupted by the appearance of the Vault 14 Explorers. The two groups nearly gunned down the excitable vault dwellers on the spot, but cooler heads prevailed within all three groups. Afterwards, the Vault 14 Explorers got to sit on the proceedings, helping here and there but overall having very little effect. On July 15, 2242, the Sons of Liberty and the Oregon tribals of the Willamette River Valley made peace, both in writing and a tribal blood ritual. Land was exchanged, agreements were made, and peace was achieved, for the moment at least. Various skirmishes took place between Sons of Liberty and Oregon tribals afterwards but nothing approaching the devastation of the past war. After it became apparent peace had been achieved, Commander Joe Montana set about rebuilding damaged settlements and expanding existing ones. He also set about creating a concrete entity for the land the Sons of Liberty called home: NAP Territory. Named after the acronym for the titular non-aggression principle, the NAP Territory would be the Sons of Liberty's "Martha's Gulch away from Martha's Gulch", where libertarian ideals would tested (and often pushed to their limits). Also, Joe Montana established the first iteration of the Sons of Liberty Radio Station in 2245. Equipment The Sons of Liberty do not have a standard uniform but their most common pieces of apparel are combat leather jackets. The Sons' staple weapons are the hunting rifle, the 9mm pistol, the combat shotgun, and the machete. Some other less common weapons among the Sons are the power fist, the submachine gun, and the laser gun. Culture Patriotism and freedom are the main two tenets of the Sons of Liberty, going along with their liberterian ideology. Pre-War American society is not idealized necessarily but the Sons of Liberty hope for a better future for America and still fly the American flag along with their own. Xenophobia towards Chinese is present but is relatively insignificant. Freedom is expressed through archaic phrases such as the non-aggression principle and freedom of speech that are exercised in the NAP Territory. Martial prowess is also greatly valued in the Sons of Liberty. Survival skills are taught from day one, everything needed to live in the wasteland. Every member of Sons of Liberty is taught how to use many different types of firearms, everything from pistols, rifles, submachine guns, shotguns, and even in some cases, the few grenade launchers possessed by the group. There is not a single person who cannot use a firearm. In recent years, the Sons of Liberty have hired out their guns for caps - for hunting purposes, trader convoy escort, and as body guards. On top of this, many in the Sons of Liberty have become bounty hunters over the years, bringing criminals, murderers, thieves, rapists, and other scum to justice or death. The Sons of Liberty have built quite a reputation for themselves, not dissimilar to the Great Khans, as being not only tough, but highly skilled, dependable and trustworthy. Religion is another tenet valued by the Sons of Liberty, though to a lesser degree than the first two. Due to Owen Curtis' influence, the majority of the Sons of Liberty now adhere to some vague interpretation of non-denominational Christianity. Faith inluences the decisions of many in the Sons but certainly not to a fanatical degree, though they may be regarded a rather conservative on some issues. Women have equal rights within the Sons of Liberty, but motherhood still is valued by the community as an American virtue over being a fighter or other pursuits. Tactics The Sons of Liberty have large enough numbers to fight pitched battles but prefer to spread out their numbers in case the NCR or FNA might attempt to take them out in one fell blow. Guerrilla warfare is the norm for the Sons of Liberty. This allows them to have a lot of flexibility and make them more adaptable to new situations. The Sons of Liberty also like to utilize chokepoints such as the Bridge of the Gods to play on their advantages. Notable Members Ethan Walters The current commander of the Sons of Liberty, Ethan Walters was formerly the DJ of Sons of Liberty Radio. A well-known figure in and out of the Sons of Liberty, Walters has nonetheless drawn criticism for his glowing endorsements of chems, his lack of combat experience, and his reluctance to direct engage the NCR or FNA as of late. Owen Curtis Owen Curtis was the Sons of Liberty's commander for over twenty years and led the group to new relevance during the Oregon Brushfire Wars. Although his origins as an Enclave deserter condemn him to some, Curtis is still loved by many in the Sons of Liberty for his patriotism and no-nonsense if sometimes sour attitude. Born on the Enclave Oil Rig in 2223 to Janice and Thad Curtis, Owen Curtis was their third child. Technicians, the Curtises were consigned to the boring work on assisting in repairs on the Oil Rig. While Janice had always planned on being a technician, Thad was forced into the role after he was injured while training to become a heavy infantry Enclave soldier, which made him feel unfufilled and unhappy. Thad projected this frustration onto all of his children but particularly towards Owen due to his seemingly more ready will to obey. Thad encouraged Owen to join the military and hoped he would do so unlike his older siblings. Feeling awkward and alone in his early teenage years, Owen seeked validation from his father by being as patriotic as possible, berating his siblings for being "weak", and joining the military at the age of sixteen. After becoming one of the light infantry and being transferred to Navarro in 2240, Owen finally began to learn that things were not quite as they seemed. The "horrible mutants" Owen had heard so much about were regular people just like everyone he had known in the Enclave. This caused Owen to become conflicted as he still wanted America to return to its former glory but saw killing the mainland "primitives" as unnecessary and cruel. Hearing horror stories about what had happened at Mariposa and Vault 13, Owen kept trying to keep these seditious feelings to himself, kept in line by the blistering Sergeant Dornan. He finally snapped upon seeing Secret Service agent Frank Horrigan returning from a mission bragging about killing an entire family. With that, Owen became determined that he had to leave somehow. His father had been wrong and blindly following his superiors was not something Owen was willing to do anymore. Owen got an opportunity in early 2241, soon after his eighteenth birthday. He and some other Enclave soldiers were given leave in San Francisco, so Owen took his chance. Secretly bringing his combat armor, weapons, and other supplies with him to the city, Owen spent a week in San Francisco trying to slip away from his fellow soldiers. He finally succeeded in escaping his fellow Enclave soldiers in Chinatown, ducking behind the group near the Flying Dragon 8 and making a run for it north, taking refuge in an abandoned shipping crate. The other Enclave soldiers on leave assumed Owen had been mugged and simply left two days later. After figuring that out, Owen didn't know what to do with himself. He still wanted to bring America back somehow, someway, but the Enclave was not the right answer. Owen then resolved to wander until he found someone or something that could help America (or at least his dream of it). He considered going to the NCR which had heard about vaguely, but shelved that thought for the moment. What Owen needed to do was equip himself to go into the wasteland. Doubling back to Chinatown, Owen went to stock up on supplies and learn more information about this new world he was exploring. Selling many of the combat chems he had brought with him from Navarro for caps, Owen first went to Red 888 Guns to buy another weapon to compliment his Wattz 2000 laser rifle. After exfensive haggling with Mai Da Chiang who insulted Owen but eventually let up, Owen bought a fancy M72 Gauss rifle and some ammo. A short stop at the Flying Dragon 8 later to get food and water, and Owen headed out of San Francisco, around Golden Gate and its Hubologists. Peacefully passing through the ruins of Oakland, Owen walked north into the wastes. The road north was fraught with dangers such as raiders, press gangs, geckos, and super mutants. Well-armored and armed with energy weapons, Owen was still hard pressed to defend himself and mostly tried to avoid hazards. Owen was grievously wounded from taking a ripper to his shoulder in an encounter with an overconfident press gang that he killed in mid 2241, and he was forced to take refuge in a cave. Having sold his stimpaks in San Francisco, Owen has forced to try to patch himself up but was unsuccessful. Owen decided to go on anyways and look for medicine or a doctor to the north. Owen soon found himself near Redding after some more limping north and headed into the town, gripping his shoulder. He managed to find a doctor after some inquiry, "Painless" Doc Johnson, and managed to get his shoulder patched up in no time. Before leaving, Owen asked the doctor about the area. Doc Johnson, not very willing to talk, instead directed Owen to the Malemute Saloon for his answers. Walking over to the saloon, Owen entered and attracted quite a bit of attention with his combat armor and gauss rifle. Assuming Owen was some high-tech merc, the other patrons of the saloon soon enough turned back to their drinks. Owen took a seat at the bar and started his night by ordering some booze. That was all he remembered of that night. The next morning Owen woke up in a bed with several naked women, empty bottles of booze, and a wicked hangover. It has not been Owen's first taste of alcohol, but it had certainly been his hardest hitting. Slapping on his combat armor and weapons, Owen tipped his helmet to the women inside and tottered back towards the Malemute Saloon's bar. Coming out behind the saloon's bar and the bartender Louise, Owen complemented Louise's appearance and asked about the previous night. Louise, both offended and a little flattered, recounted what had happened: after drinking himself into the floor, Owen had gone on a bender, yelled something about "Enclave", and rented a room and a couple of hookers too. He was down more than $200. Not as bad as I thought, he pondered. After some more conversation, Owen finally remembered the reason he had come to Malemute in the first place and asked about the area around Redding. With some coaxing, Louise told Owen about many places including the almost utopian (or dystopian) Vault City, the small trapping town of Klamath Falls, the tribal village of Arroyo, and the forbidding expanse of Cascadia to the north. Owen thought that over and thanked the barkeep for her time. Walking out of the saloon, Owen considered his options. Vault City sounded like a nice place but what if it turned out just like where he came from? The land of Cascadia, to the north, sounded the place to go. Walking out of Redding, Owen soon came upon a gathering a people north of town. Holy people. They were gathered around listening to some traveling preacher, brandishing a Bible and barking fiery words, speaking of an Exodus north to escape the Jet fiends and sinners of the south. As Owen walked by the gathering of holy people, the preacher pointed a finger at him and asked if he had accepted Jesus Christ into his heart. Still recovering from his hangover and only a somewhat familiar grasp of the concept of Christianity, Owen mumbled some inarticulate words under his breath. With that, the preacher darted through the crowd of holy people, took hold of Owen, and gave him the speech that would transform his life. The preacher told Owen many things, of God, of humanity, and of mutation. The preacher seemed to understand Owen's feeling of alienation and isolation, and he appealed to that. Owen had never been a religious person but this dynamic man was making him reconsider. The speech made Owen reconsider his own path forward as well. He remembered the hard path from San Fran to Redding and thought of the potential dangers that awaited him to the north. After some more talking from the preacher, Owen demurely asked if he could join the holy people on their journey north. The preacher cracked a huge smile and agreed, welcoming Owen into his flock and introducing himself as Father Stephen. Owen felt like he was a part of something once again. The journey north was indeed harsh but not without its perks. Being the most well armed member of Father Stephen's flock, Owen was soon put in charge of the protection of the holy people. On the way north from Redding, Owen killed numerous tribals and mutated wildlife. However, even with did all that good for the holy people, they did not really like Owen due to his rather hostile personality, and he did not talk to them. The only person he really talked to was Father Stephen, mostly about God and Owen's past. Eventually, convinced of his convictions, Father Stephen gave Owen his own Bible, made pre-War. The little Bible became one of Owen's treasured possessions, but he did not read it often. Two weeks after leaving leaving Redding, the procession of holy people came entered their first town in Cascadia, Grant's Pass. Once a thriving agricultural community, Grant's Pass was now controlled by slavers aligned with the Den, preying on tribals and drifters going north. Owen was disgusted by the behavior of the slavers, ready to gun them down at any provocation, but Father Stephen calmed him, assuring Owen they would only be staying in "this hellish town" for a day or so. Barney A rather standard member of the Sons of Liberty, Barney is currently standing (or sitting at) guard duty on the Bridge of Gods. Barney is a veteran, having seen a lot of action in his time, and he now tries to console his troubled mind with alcohol, conspiracy theories, and the occasional firefight. Born in 2239 to a whore and a Son of Liberty militiaman, Barney was a surprise to both of his parents. Instead of taking the easier route, the two instead married and had the child. Quotes By About Category:Groups Category:Cascadia